Erica Brusselars launches bid for Allegheny County treasurer

For the first time in nearly 25 years, Allegheny County could have a new county treasurer, as Democrat Erica Rocchi Brusselars announced her candidacy Tuesday.

Incumbent John Weinstein, a Democrat, was first elected to the treasurer position in 1999 and has held the position since then. It’s unclear if Brusselars will have to face Weinstein, who has been fundraising and is expected to launch a bid for Allegheny County executive this week. She said she is ready to challenge anyone.

She said the Treasurer’s Office needs to update with the times and notes that payments, such as the hotel tax and dog license fees, still cannot be made online.

“I am passionate about transparency and welcome the opportunity to modernize a position that hasn’t seen change in a long time,” said Brusselars in a release.

The Treasurer’s Office is responsible for collecting county taxes and fees and distributing those throughout county government and services. It also is responsible for investing those funds.

Brusselars of Pittsburgh’s North Side said her experience as an actuary and working more than 14 years at global insurance firm Willis Towers Watson has prepared her to be the county’s top financial watchdog.

If she were to face off against Weinstein, it could be the first serious challenge he has faced in years. Over his nearly quarter-century tenure, Weinstein has faced few challengers during elections.

Brusselars said her priorities are to increase transparency at the office and to address issues concerning property assessments. She plans to address what she said is an underfunded pension plan for county employees.

In 2021, then-Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner said the county’s pension fund was only 36% funded, and that a pension fund is “healthy” when it is at least 80% funded.

Brusselars also said she wants to ensure she is a face in the community if elected. She said she has a proven track record of community involvement and cites her role serving as Pittsburgh’s 23rd Ward Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, canvassing for Democratic presidential campaigns, and time volunteering as a court watcher for the advocacy group Abolitionist Law Center.

“Allegheny County residents deserve elected officials who are present in both their offices and their communities,” Brusselars said. “I intend to lead the Treasurer’s Office with respect, collaboration and a strong sense of service.”